If you have something - or someone - to celebrate, I highly recommended making these Cinnamon Rolls a part of the festivities. In our family, gooey Cinnamon Rolls, warm from the oven and glazed with a sweet swirl of cream cheese icing, make an appearance Christmas morning, Easter morning, birthdays. . . . They’re a great way to bring a celebratory mood to the table.
This dough is somewhat soft and sticky, but don’t be tempted to add too much flour. The texture will improve upon resting, and it will be easier to work with. You can add walnuts, pecans, or raising to the filling or the dough, or you can make them plain - they are delicious as is.
The recipe can be prepared in advance and held overnight, then baked in the morning for fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon rolls. To do this, slice the dough and place it in the prepared baking dishes, then cover and refrigerate. Before baking, allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the rolls are puffed and nearly doubled in size, then bake.
For more tips, go here. Enjoy!
Cinnamon Rolls
- 1 cup milk
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (or 1 envelope)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
For Filling:
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, if desired
For Glaze:
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Combine milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds or until butter is nearly melted. Remove from microwave, stir in water, and let cool till about 110 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer with paddle attachment, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt, eggs, and milk mixture. Stir to combine. Add remaining flour, a little at a time, beating until flour is incorporated after each addition. When the dough comes together into a sticky mass, scrape down bowl and paddle and replace paddle with dough hook. Knead, using dough hook, for about 8 minutes. Dough should clear sides of bowl, but not bottom. If dough clings to hook, just shut off mixer and scrape it down with a spatula every couple of minutes. If dough does not clear sides of bowl, sprinkle with flour, a couple of tablespoons at a time. Don’t overdo the flour though ~ this is a sticky dough, but it will improve after resting.
- Shut off mixer, scrape dough down into bowl ~ off hook and away from sides and bottom of bowl. Spray dough and sides of bowl with nonstick cooking spray; cover with plastic wrap; let sit for about 45 minutes at room temperature.
- Divide dough in half. Working with half at a time, lay dough out on floured surface. Flour rolling pin and roll dough out into a 12-inch by 9-inch rectangle. Dough should keep its shape when rolled. If it springs back, let the dough rest on the counter for 5 or 10 minutes, so the gluten can relax, then try again.
- Make filling: In a small mixing bowl, use the back of spoon to mash together all the filling ingredients except for the pecans. When you have an integrated paste, spread half of it over the first dough rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch margin on all sides. (It’s okay if you don’t get perfect coverage.) Sprinkle pecans over filling, if desired. Moisten the farthest margin of the long side. Roll up dough, starting with the long edge opposite the one you have moistened.
- Repeat with second half of dough and filling. Butter two 9-inch by 13-inch baking pans. Cut the two rolls of dough into 12 slices each. The easiest way to do this is by using a piece of dental floss. Slide it beneath the roll and tie a knot around the roll, then pull the strings until they cut all the way through the dough log, cutting off a slice. Alternatively, you can slice the dough logs with a very sharp knife.
- Arrange slices in baking pans, leaving space around each slice. Cover pans with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and let rise until slices are puffed and almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. It’s okay if slices touch each other as they rise. During this time, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake cinnamon rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans once after 15 minutes. If they are browning too quickly, lay a sheet of foil over top.
- Make glaze: Using an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla. Gradually spoon in cream and milk, beating after each addition, until frosting has desired spreading consistency.
- Remove cinnamon rolls from oven and slide a spatula underneath them to loosen them from the pan. The sugar-and-butter mixture may caramelize and cause them to stick to the bottom of the pan if you don’t loosen them. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove them to serving platter and spread with glaze.
